Bhubaneswar: The Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has asked all district Collectors to submit reports on crop damage caused by heavy rain due to cyclonic storm Phethai within a week.

In a letter, the SRC yesterday instructed Collectors of all districts to conduct necessary assessment through filed inquiry with the help of officials from Revenue and Disaster Management and Agriculture and Farmers' Empowerment Departments and furnish report in a week.

“Though forecast about possible rainfall was disseminated and farmers had taken steps to harvest their crops and preserve the same safely, heavy rain due to cyclone Phethai on December 17 and 18 might have caused damages to standing Kharif crops. Agriculture input subsidy, in prescribed rate as per the norms of State Disaster Response Fund, will be provided to farmers, who have sustained crop loss of 33% and above,” the letter read.

The Collectors have also been directed to submit a list of affected farmers along with their bank account details for disbursement of agriculture input subsidy.

However, the letter clarified that crop lands that were already declared as affected by cyclone Titli, floods, landslide and drought during the current year will not be included in the current assessment.